Racing game



Feb- 4, 196 E. J. M. LOMBARD RACING GAME Filed March 6, 1959 4Sheets-Sheet 1 1964 E. J. M. LOMBARD 3,120,389

RACING GAME Filed March 6, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1964 v E. J. I51.LOMBARD RACING GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 6, 1959 1964 E. J. M.LOMBARD RACING GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 6, 1959 United StatesPatent 3,120,389 RACING GAME Emile Juies Marie Lombard, 2 Rue Monge,Casablanca, Morocco Filed Mar. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 797,777 Claimspriority, appiication Morocco Mar. 8, 1958 8 Claims. (Cl. 27386) Thepresent invention relates to racing games. Racing games are known inwhich various moving bodies are made to compete, their displacementbeing carried out following pre-detenmined trajectories on a track whichis free of any visible system of driving or guiding.

This result is generally obtained by means of permanent magnets orelectro-magnets which move underneath the track and retain said movingbodies under their close control due to the magnetic attraction of otherdriven permanent magnets which are suitably arranged and concealed inthese moving bodies.

Means are also known whereby each player is permitted in the course ofthe game to vary the speed of one of the moving bodies which isspecially placed under his control.

This variation of the speed is made possible, in the case in which thegame is driven by electrical means, by rheostats which are placed at thedisposal of each player and Which control the intensity of the currentand in consequence, the speed of displacement of the magnetcarryingmembers which drive the moving bodies by magnetic attraction. In thecase in which these carrying members are moved by purely mechanicalmeans, the player himself provides the motive power needed for theirdisplacement by turning a crank-handle control and makes the effortexerted on the crankhandle in proportion to the speed which he requiresto impart to the moving body under his control.

The feature which thus enables the player to regulate the speed of avehicle placed under his control does not constitute an element which issufficient to endow the game with a truly competitive character. Thefact of the matter is that:

Either the moving bodies are so closely applied to the track on whichthey move that under racing conditions, they remain normally andconventionally placed on the track irrespective of the speed which theyare given or of the accelerations transmitted: in such a case the raceis reduced to an arbitrary contest which is devoid of all interest,since it relies solely on the rapidity with which the player operatesthe driving crank-handle or on the resistance of the mechanical orelectrical driving devices, or the precision with which they areadjusted.

Or else under certain conditions of speed or acceleration, the movingbodies are liable to go off the track or lose contact with their drivingdevice. In this case, the first incident of this nature upsets thenormal progress of the race, since the finishing order of the vehiclesbecomes open to doubt and the intervention of the players to put theirvehicles back in the race lends a disorderly character to the contest.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for controlling thebodies which is an accurate measure of the skill of the operator.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to produce aracing game using automobiles or any other moving bodies such as boats,aircraft, animals, various figures, etc., of the type comprising the twoknown features described above-that is to say, magnetic drive of themoving bodies and a device enabling the players to control theirspeed-in which an automatic penalizing device causing a brief stop orslowing down of the moving body is imposed as a penalty for certainexactly defined 3,126,389 Patented Feb. 4, 1964 2 faults, such as a tooabrupt start, too sharp acceleration or slowing down, excessive speed ona curve or at any given point along the course.

The automatic penalizing of said faults is carried out in accordancewith the present invention by means of devices which come into operationfor predetermined values of speed or acceleration and are essentiallycharacterised in that on the one hand, the inertia forces set up bystarting and accelerating the moving bodies or the magnet-carryingmembers which drive them, in the center of masses which are flexiblycoupled to these latter and, on the other hand, the centrifugal .forcesset up by the influence of the curves or the rotation of the movingparts in the center of said carrying members or in the center of saidparts, are together employed to cause, above a given limit value and bydisplacement of the masses which are acted upon by the said forces,either the disconnection of a mechanical coupling or the opening of anelectrical contact transmitting motive power to the said carryingmembers of the magnets driving the moving bodies.

It is a further object of the invention to extend the stopping timecaused by the automatic penalizing devices, so as to increase thepenalty imposed on the offending player. These slowing-down or delayingdevices are characterised in that certain operations which require anappreciable length of time to be carried out, are compulsorily imposedon the offending player, so that he has to re-establish the mechanical.or electrical contact which was interrupted by the intervention of thepenalizing device, in order thus again to set into motion the movingbody under his control.

A further object of the invention relates to a lapcounting device whichis capable of informing the players or the spectators at any givenmoment of the number of laps completed by each moving body in the race,and consequently their individual classification at any particularmoment.

By means of the combination of these various devices, namely apenalizing device, a slowing-down device and a lap-counter, the wholeaspect of this type of game to which they may be applied is thuscompletely transformed.

The racing game in accordance with the present invention has in fact thecharacter of a genuine contest in which the players are on the one handobliged to conform to the same restrictions as those imposed in afull-scale speed contest by the mechanical performances of the enginesand, on the other hand, the players have to show certain qualitiesinvolving the exercise of skill, rapidity of reflex action, andprudence, and these alone single out the winner. Finally the progress ofthe race is regulated by the limitations of speed and acceleration whichare imposed and is controlled by the lap-counting device, thus avoidingany difference of opinion as to the order in which the moving bodies areplaced.

The present invention combines various embodiments of the differentdevices which have just been described, these embodiments being moreparticularly adapted either to a type of game which operates by the useof electric motors, the power of which is regulated by each player bymeans of a rheostat, or to a type of game which is normally made to workby the action of manually operated crankhandles, but which may alsocomprise the use of electric motors.

The design and arrangement of the various devices forming the object ofthe invention are thus a function of the particular features whichproperly belong to both types of game.

In accordance with the invention there is contemplated a racing game forbodies which are individually movable along respective trajectories on atrack which is free of 3 any visible driving and guiding systems. Thegame comprises means for displacing the movable bodies at variablespeeds and accelerations and means operatively associated with the meansfor displacing the movable bodies and responsive to the acceleration andspeed thereof for disassociating the same from said movable bodies withthe latter exceeding a predetermined acceleration and independently ofthe speed of the bodies. The latter said means automatically restoresthe association between the movable bodies and the means for displacingthe same when the acceleration of the bodies is reduced to a magnitudewhich is less than the predetermined acceleration.

Other secondary features of the present invention will appear inaddition to the various devices forming the object of the inventionwhich will be described below, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view in elevation of a first embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line XX of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a re-engagement delay device inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram in diagrammatic form of a game having twovehicles, provided with corresponding control stations.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of an alternative form ofconstruction of the device in accordance with FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section taken along the line Y-Y of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7 and 7a represent end elevational views of the embodiment of FIG.6, showing two positions of the device respectively shown at a bendtaken at an excessive speed and on a bend taken at a permissible speed.

FIGS. 8 and 9 respectively show side and front elevational views of analternative form of construction of the device in accordance with FIG.1.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of the electrical distributioncircuit of the penalizing device in accordance with FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of a form of construction ofthe driving and supporting member.

FIG. 12 represents a general respective view of an electrical form ofgame with two cars in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 13 represents a general perspective view of a mechanical form ofgame with two cars and a circular track.

FIG. 14 is a cross-section view of the mechanism of a game taken alongthe line XX of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 shows a detail of the mechanism of FIG. 14 showing themechanical penalizing and re-engagement delay devices.

FIG. 16 illustrates an alternative form of the re-engagement delaydevice.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate two alternative forms of the penalizingdevice in a racing game in accordance with FIG. 13.

FIGS. 19, 19a and 1% respectively show in front view, profile view andplan view, a form of construction of the device carrying the drivingmagnets in a game in accordance with FIG. 13.

FIGS. 20 and 20a represent two forms of construction of the assembly ofthe magnet which drives the moving body.

FIG. 21 represents a form of construction of the assembly of the drivenmagnet arranged within the moving body.

FIG. 22 represents another form of construction of the assembly of thedriven magnet arranged in the interior of the moving body.

FIG. 23 represents a diagrammatic view of a lap-counting device inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 24 represents a diagrammatic view of an accessory device designedto provide scenic interest of one of the games in accordance with theinvention.

Reference being made to FIGS. 1 and 2, the guiding and driving magnet 1which roughly has the shape of an arc of a circle, is so arranged on acarrying member that it continuously skims over, and as closely aspossible to, the lower surface of the track P which is of very smallthickness, and continuously retains in its control a car V oppositelyarranged on the upper surface of the track. This car, which is ofnon-magnetic material, for example plastic material, in turn carries amagnet 2or a mass of soft item-preferably cylindrical and eitherarranged in the axis of direction of movement of the car, as in the formof construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or at right angles to this axisas shown in the other figures.

The driving member which carries the driving magnet is constituted by abucket B which is suspended from pulleys 3 and 4 from a rail 5 which issecured by brackets 6 to the lower surface of the track.

The pulley 3 is rigidly fixed to a driving pulley 7 coupled by adriving-belt 8 to an electric motor 9. The electric current supplyingthe motor is conveyed to this latter by means of a copper striptil-inserted in the lower surface of the trackthrougl1 a collector-brush11 provided with a spring 11a and after having passed through achange-over switch device 12. As it passes out of the motor 9, thereturn of current is ensured by another collector-brush 13, alsoprovided with a spring 13a and making contact with another copper strip14, also inserted in the lower surface of the track.

The change-over switch 12 is constituted by a platinumplated contact 17rigidly fixed to a pendulum provided at its extremity with a threadedportion 15, onto which is screwed a weight-head l6, and by aplatinum-plated contact 13 rigidly fixed to the bucket, the two contactsbeing in contact when the pendulum is in a position of equilibrium.

When stopped, or in normal operating position, the brushes 1i and 13 arerespectively in contact with the current supply strips 10 and thecurrent return strips 14 and on the other hand, the change-over switch12 is in its contact position.

In the event that the bucket B-and in consequence car Vis startedsuddenly or accelerated too rapidly, the inertia of the weight-head 16causes the separation of the two platinum-plated contacts 17 and 18through which the current has to pass in order to energize the motor 9.The efiect of this separation is to stop the said motor and, as aresult, the bucket B together with the car which it drives both slowdown and come to a stop.

In the case of either a left hand or right hand curve taken by thebucket at too great a speed, as shown in FIG. 7, one of the brushes 11or 13, which is retained by a stop (not shown on the drawings) losescontact with the strip which it engages, on the exterior of the curve,as a result of the tilting of the bucket which is pivotally mounted onthe rail 5 and which is acted on by centrifugal force. The flow ofcurrent is then cut off, the motor 9 stops as well as the bucket B andthe car V, the mass of which should be calculated in such manner thateven if the bucket comes to a relatively sudden stop, the magneticcoupling established between the car and the magnet 1 cannot be broken,on account of the forces of inertia :hich have been set up.

A massive metallic washer 19, moving on a threaded shaft 2%} provided onthe lower portion of the bucket B is capable of modifying the positionof the center of gravity of the bucket, depending on whether the saidwasher is more or less screwed along the shaft. An adjustment made onthese washers before the beginning of the race thus enables the maximumspeed to be determined at which the curves may be approached withoutincurring the risk of a penalty in the course of the race. Similarly theweight-head 16 may be adjusted in like manner at the extremity of itspendulum by screwing it on the threaded portion 1'5 to a more or lesssubstantial extent, in such manner that a greater or lesser degree ofsensitivity may be conferred upon the device for penalizing straightline accelerations or reductions of speed.

In a device in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2, the current isautomatically restored as soon as the causes which produce itsinterruption have been removed. In consequence, it is possibie that thepenalty inflicted on an unskillful palyer may not be sufficiently heavy.

In order that the penalizing system may be made more effective, adelayed make-and-break system has been provided, coupled to each of therheostats which serve as a control station for each player.

This delayed make-and-break device which is shown in FIG. 3 togetherwith the rheostat to which it is coupled, has the followingcharacteristics:

A coil 21 delivers current to the rheostat as soon as theplatinum-plated contacts 22 and 23 come into contact, by the thrust of abutton 24 on a pivoting plate 25 provided with a spring 26 and carryingat its extremity the platinum-plated contact 22.

The button 24 being also provided with a return-spring 2 5a reverts toits initial position as soon as it is no longer actuated. In spite ofthe return of the button 24, the passage of current, when onceestablished, is nevertheless maintained automatically by means of theattraction then exerted on the plate 25 by a soft iron core 21a placedin the center of the coil 21.

If, as a result of a mistake made by a player, a break occurs in thecurrent supply at the level of the brushes 11 or 13 or of theplatinum-plated contacts 17 and 18, the passage of current will not berestored merely by the automatically-eifected contact of the contacts 17and 18 or by the renewal of contact between the brushes and the currentsupply or return strips.

in fact, since the coil 21 is no longer energized by reason of theinterruption in question, the plate 25 is no longer attracted by thesoft iron core Zia and the platinum-plated contact 22, which is recalledby the spring 2-5, loses contact with the platinum-plated contact 23,thus producing a second break in the circuit in addition to that whichdirectly resulted from the players error of operation. In order toreestablish the circuit, it is again necessary to apply pressure on thebutton 24-. This pressure may be obtained by means of the operatinglever 27 of the rheostat itself, this lever being mounted in such mannerthat, over a portion of its travel (from a to b), it moderates theintensity of the current and that, at the end of its travel (at c), ithits the button 24 and its thrust action causes the contact of thecontacts 22 and 23 to be restored. in order to overcome any possibilityof cheating, the device may be built in such manner that the lever Z7 isalone capable of actuating the push-button 24 and that this lattercannot be directly actuated by hand.

This current-restoring operation, which is necessary to start thepenalized vehicle again, may additionally be slowed down by a set oftoothed wheels 28 or by any other braking device rigidly fixed to thelever 27 so as to make the penalizing device more sensitive byincreasing the time of operation which is necessary to restore thecurrent.

The operation of the rheostat, in this method of construction as inother methods to be analysed later, may itself cause the infliction of apenalty upon a careless operator by bringing his car to a standstill. Itsuifices for this purpose that, by passing'beyond the extreme pointcorresponding to the maximum power of the motor, the current is cut off.In this way the player who attempts to run his car at the highestpossible speed permitted by the rheostat will invariably run the risk ofovershooting this extreme limit and of being consequently penalized bystoppage of the car under his control.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the distribution of current to the circuits in agame having two cars with corresponding control stations. Each of thetwo copper strips 11 and 13 is connected to the public electricitysupply with or with- (5 out previous transformation of the current. TheRDC systems of make-and-break time-delay rheostats which have beendescribed above may additionally be interposed between this supplyconnection and the circuits.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 represent a particular form of construction of thedevice in accordance with FIG. 1, in which the driving magnet 1 does nothave the shape of the arc of a circle as in FIG. 1, but has acylindrical shape and is placed perpendicular to the direction ofmovement of the bucket, said bucket being laterally oscillatable beneathsaid rail independently from said carriage, one of said brushes losingcontact with said corresponding strip with said oscillatory movement ata determinable amplitude, while the magnet installed on the car to bedriven is then arranged in the same fashion.

In accordance with this form of construction, the driving magnet shouldnevertheless be able to remain in its horizontal position at all timesduring the race, even though the carrying bucket carries out a swingingmovement at the curves in the path.

For this purpose, the support 29 of the magnet 1 arranged between thepulleys 3 and 4 is provided with two rollers 39 and, when the car ismoving in a straight line, these rollers remain separated from the lowersurface of the track by a space of l to 2 millimeters and this support29 is kept in a perfactly horizontal position by means of a spring 31.

At each turning, one of the rollers 39 makes contact with the lowersurface of the track and prevents the support 29 and the magnet ll fromfollowing the swinging movement of the bucket.

In order that this swinging movement should not be hindered by theabutment constituted by the rollers 30, the support 29 is pivotallymounted on the bucket by the intermediary of a member 32 which isrigidly fixed t this latter and has the profile of a hockey stick whichenables it to pass over the rail 5 and its supporting member 6 and alsopermits the swinging movement of the said support 29 in relation tohockey stick member 32.

In FIGS. 6, 7 and 7a, the brushes 11 and 13 have been replaced by analternative system of contactor-rollers 33' which carry out the samefunction.

FIGS. 7 and 7a illustrate the manner in which it is possible in thecourse of turning for the buckets to sway when without causing thedriving magnets 1 to deviate substantially from their horizontalposition and also how, in the case of a curve which is taken too fast(FIG. 7a) the interruption of the current supplying the motor 9 iscaused by loss of contact between one of the rollers 33 and thecorresponding current supply or return strip.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a form of construction of the driving and penalizingdevices in accordance with the invention, and characterised in that thedriving bucket does not make any swaying movement during the turnings.

In accordance with this form of construction, the bucket is susepnded bya system of rollers on angle-iron members arranged underneath the trackand constituting a rollertrack.

The rolling system of each bucket comprises a front axle, at theextremity of which are mounted two rollers 34, for example of plasticmaterial, and resting on the angle-iron rolling track 35.

One of these front rollers is provided with a grooved pulley 34::coupled by a driving-belt to the electric motor 9 of the bucket.

A rear axle, at the extremity of which two rollers are axially mounted,rotates freely.

The entire roller system is mounted in such manner that the bucket isable to negotiate ascents, downhill gradients and turns without anyswinging eifect from front to rear, from right to left or from left toright.

The rear axle may additionally comprise a system of pivots in ahorizontal plane enabling the bucket to be disengaged and withdrawn fromits roller-track, for the purpose of assembly, maintenance or repair.

The driving magnet 1 may be simply fixed on the upper portion of thebucket in the position shown in the draw ings, or it may be mounted on ashaft which enables it to rotate. In this case, the magnet 1 is hoopedby a rubber ring 1a which makes contact with the inner surface of thetrack and thus causes the said magnet to rotate.

On the upper portion of the bucket are fixed two brushes 11 and 13 whichmake contact with the angle-iron members 35 during the entire progressof the race, and irrespective of the impulses received by the bucket;these angleiron members are made of a metal having good conductiveproperties and serve for the arrival and return of the current supplyingthe motor 9.

Following another form of construction, the rollers themselves may beused as current supply and return terminals.

In the lower portion of the bucket is arranged a makeand-break systemwhich is capable of penalizing the errors of operation committed by theplayer, by stopping the bucket and the corresponding car for anappreciable length of time.

This make-and-break contact, of which FIG. 9 illustrates by way ofexample and not by way of limitation, a form of construction, and ofwhich FIG. represents the electrical distribution diagram, isconstituted as follows:

A metallic ball 36 rolls freely in a circular cup 37 of any insulatingmaterial. This ball, which is located at the bottom of the cup when thebucket is stationary or moving forward normally, moves towards theperiphery of this cup under the influence of centrifugal force or theforce of inertia set up by too sudden starting or stopping or excessivespeed on a curve.

A copper ring 38 is housed in the rim of the cup 37 and a ring 39 ofcopper foil i arranged as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, above the ring 38, ata distance from this latter which is approximately equal to the diameterof the ball 36.

The ring 39 is connected to the rod supplying the current to the motor9, while the ring 38 is in contact with the rod which ensures the returnof the current supply from the motor (FIG. 10).

An electro-magnet 40 is adapted to attract a small mass 40a of softiron, which is placed at one extremity of an oscillating plate 41. Atthe other extremity of this plate is secured a platinum-plated contact42 which loses contact with an oppositely-placed contact 43 when theelectro-magnet 40, which is energized, attracts the mass 40a. Under theaction of a small return spring 44, this contact 42 again makes contactwith the said contact 43 as soon as the electro-magnet ceases to beenergised.

The electro-magnet 40 is connected on the one hand to the ring 38 and onthe other hand to the contact 43 which is in turn connected to thecollector-brush 13 which is used as the current return.

The make-and-break contact operates as follows:

When the ball 36 reaches one edge of the cup 37, it establishes contactbetween the rings 38 and 39, the current passes through theelectro-magnet 40, the contacts 42 and 43 are separated and the drivingmotor 9 is no longer supplied with current.

After sliding fairly slowly round the rim of the cup, the ball 36 nolonger ensures contact between the rings 38 and 39, the current whichenergises the electro-rnagnet 40 is cut-01f, the contacts 42 and 43 arejoined together and the current supply to the motor 9 is restored.

Various alternative forms may evidently be adopted for this systemwithout thereby departing from the principle of the invention and itsessential characteristics.

Thus, in the method of assembly shown in FIG. 9, the return of thecontact 42 to its position of contact with the contact 43 is delayed bythe intervention of a multiplying gear provided with a ratchet 42a or,still more simply, not by using a gear wheel but merely by using aspring ratchet device.

'Following a form of construction of the present invention which is moreparticularly adapted to games in which a substantial ovenall size ispermissible, the bucket carrying the driving and guiding magnet may bereplaced, as shown in FIG. 11, by a vehicle B" which travels on rails,and the track for the support and movement of the cars forms a ceilingabove the vehicle carrying the driving magnet.

In order to ensure that the driving magnet skims constantly over thelower surface of the track, the said driving magnet may be adapted to atrolley device 45 with springs.

The racing game in accordance with the invention may be driven in themanner described above, by purely mechanical means which are themselvesactuated by the efiort applied by the players to the crank-handles.

FIG. 13 represents the general aspect of a form of construction of thistype of game. This relates to a game for two players with a circulartrack comprising a lapcounting gantry, the characteristics of which willbe described below.

As shown in FIG. 14, the crank handles 46 which are each used by oneplayer, are placed opposite to each other, their movement of rotationbeing communicated to the arm 47 supporting the driving magnets 1 bymeans of a central gear system which, as an example only and without anylimitation being implied, is constituted by a set of conical pinions 48,49, 5t) and 51, the pinion 49 being rigidly fixed to the shaft 52 andthe pinion 51 being mounted to rotate freely about this same shaft 52.

The systems of automatic disengagement which constitute the penalizingdevices in accordance with the invention are placed between thecrank-handles and the central gearing of the game, as shown in FiGS. 14and 15.

The crank-handle 46 is rigidly fixed to a cylindrical member 53 whichterminates at its other extremity in an angle pinion 54 which in turnengages another pinion 55 supported by a bracket 56.

The pinion 55 is provided on its lower face with an arm 57, at theextremity of which may oscillate a weighthead 58 mounted on aright-angle member 59 which is arranged in such manner that, under theinfluence of the centrifugal force set up by the rotation of the pinion55 and the arm 57, the extremity of the right-angle member 59 causes thedownward movement of a shaft 61 which slides freely in the web of thepinion 55.

In the interior of the cylindrical member 53 and also in the hub of thecrank-handle 46, a shaft 63 slides, but is prevented from rotating byvirtue of the co-operation of a pin 62 with a groove 62a. The said shaft63 is provided at one extremity with a push-button 64 and at the otherextremity with a shouldered member 65a and with a clutch disc 65provided with nipples 66 enabling this disc 65, when the shaft 63 isthrust forward, to engage a counter-disc 67 having recessed portionscorresponding to the nipples 66. A spring 68 urges this shaft 63 towardsthe exterior of the game.

When pressure is applied to the button 64, the upper extremity of theshaft 61 which normally rests when stationary, on the shouldered member65a, moves into the position shown in FIG. 15, that is to say in frontof this shouldered member 65a, and for this reason, the shaft 63 isunable to move towards the exterior of the game under the influence ofthe spring 68, and the disc 65 and the counter disc 67 are thus in theirengaged position.

When the crank-handle 46 is too strongly actuated, the movement of theweight-head 58 which is induced by centrifugal force, causes thedownward withdrawal of the shaft 61, and the shaft 63 which is no longerretained by the head of this shaft 61, moves back under the action ofthe return spring 68 and the clutch disc 65 also moves back; the disc 65and the counter-disc 67 are then disengaged.

The player who is thus penalized by the stoppage of the device must, inorder to re-engage, press again on the push-button 64: the re-engagementoperation thus takes place as described above.

The counter-disc 67 is so mounted that its separation from the disc 6Eis completely effected when the shaft 63 is in a position of withdrawaltowards the exterior of the game and in such manner that it issufiiciently coupled with the disc 65 when the shaft 63 is retained inthe position of engagement by the head of the shaft 61.

A flexible coupling is obtained between this counterdisc 67 and theshaft 6h which, in the position of engagement, transmits the movement tothe central gear. This flexible coupling is ensured by means of a spiralspring 70, one extremity of which engages the shaft 69 itself.

In the case in which the player jerks the crankhandle by actuating ittoo strenuously, the nipples 65 come out of their recesses, and thespiral spring 70* is compressed. A complete turn has then to be given tothe crank-handle before the engagement of the discs 65 and 67 againtakes place.

In order to inflict a more severe penalty on the player who exceeds thespeed permitted by the disengagement device as described above, thethrust action on the button 64 may be made more arduous and take moretime to achieve, by means of a device shown in FIG. '16.

Following this method of construction, the pointed shape of thepush-button 64 does not allow it to be directly actuated with a finger.In order to actuate this latter, it is necessary to swivel the arm ofthe crank-handle which is suitably jointed for this purpose, in thedirection of the arrow F, and in such manner that this arm itselfapplies the necessary pressure to force it in.

FIG. 16 also shows a detail of construction which is designed to makethe action of the crank-handle more eifective. Instead of being screwedto the cylindrical member 53 as shown in FIG. 15, the hub of thecrankhandle 46 is secured to this member 53 by means of tenons 71 whichslide in a circular groove formed in this member 53. The presence of asteel ball 72 which is forcibly applied by an adjustable spring into arecessed portion formed in the member 53, prevents the crankhandle fromcoming away from this latter, so long as the action of the player is nottoo brutal. If it is, the ball is dislodged from its recess and thecrank-handle turns freely for a complete revolution, at the end of whichthe bail falls back into position. In this case also, the player istherefore penalised.

The various mechanisms which have been described above tend to make theplayers very slowly progressive in their controlling action and, whileendowing the game with a quality of discipline, they avoid thepossibility of the car becoming detached from the attraction of itsdriving magnet while moving round the track.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate two alternative forms of the automaticdisengagement type of penalizing device, which are designed to beapplied to games provided with crank-handles and which are arranged atthe points of attachment of the arms carrying the driving magnets.

The device shown in FIG. 17 comprises on the one hand a circular plate73 keyed on the shaft 52 and hollowed out at its centre in the shape ofa cup and on the other hand, a second circular plate 74 provided with ashouldered portion freely engaged in the cup of the plate 73 andcarrying at its periphery the point of attachment of one of the arms 47shown in FIG. 14.

These two plates 73 and 74 are only rigidly fixed to each other when aball 75 is engaged, by the thrust of a spring 76, in a rewssed portionformed in the shoulder of the plate 741.

In the event of the assembly of the members rotating too rapidly, thethrust of this spring 76 on the ball 75 is annulled by theoppositely-acting tractive force applied on the other extremity of thisspring 76 by a mass 77 which is thus acted upon by centrifugal force.

In FIG. 18 is shown an appreciably simplified device,

1% in which the washer or circular plate carrying the arm 47 supportingthe driving magnet is only rigidly coupled to the pinion 51, which iscapable of communicating its movement of rotation to said plate, when anipple 78 is engaged in a recess or notch 79 formed in a circularshoulder hit on the end of the pinion 51.

The nipple 78 constitutes the head of a rod 32a, the upper extremity ofwhich is provided with a mass 82. Lugs @212 formed along this rod andengaged in slots machimed in the arm 47 or in its extension, rigidly fixthe rod for rotation with this latter, while still enabling said rod tomake a relative sliding movement with respect to the arm 47.

The nipple 78 is normally engaged in the notch 79 by the thrust of aspring 81. When the speed of rotation of the members is suflicientlygreat, the centrifugal force which acts upon the member 82 neutralizesthe thrust of the spring 31 and the nipple "It; disengages by itselffrom the notch 79': the arm 47 and the rod 82a to which it is rigidlycoupled are then disengaged from the driving pinion 51.

When the cause of disengagement has been removed, that is to say whenthe speed of rotation of the members is reduced, the nipple 73 returnsto the notch 79 under the thrust, which is once again predominant, ofthe spring 81. The re-engagement only takes place, however, when thenotch and the nipple have again returned to their oppositely-facingpositions, and this causes a certain timedelay in the running of thecorresponding car and constitutes a penalty for the offending player.

All the so-called crank-handle games, that is to say games driven bypurely mechanical means, may be provided, as additions to the supportingarms for the driving magnets, with extension and withdrawal systems ofvarious types, the sliding type for example, or the so-called Nurembergtongs, etc., which enable these arms to be automatically extended andshortened in such manner as to make it possible to build tracks having avariety of twists and contours. In this case, the extremities of thearms supporting the magnets are guided by the rails or else byangle-irons of the type which has been given the reference C in FIG. 19,and in which is engaged a nipple formed at the extremity of the arm 47.

In a form of construction of this kind, the drivingmagnet shouldsimilarly be able to oscillate in a horizontal plane in such mannerthat, in the curves, its axis remains at right angles to the axis of thetrack. In FIGS. 19, 19a and 19b is also shown looking on the front, inprofile and in plan, this form of fixation of the driving magnet,essentially constituted by a member in the form of a stirrup whichreceives the extremities of the shaft of the magnet and swivels about apivot rigidly fixed to the extremity of the arm 47.

FIG. 20 represents a further form of construction of the assembly of thedriving magnets in a crank-handle game. The magnet is capable ofrotating about its axis 8 3, its rotation being caused by the contact ofa small rubber ring 8 4 with the lower surface of the track. As shown inFIG. 20a, the magnet may also be fixed in a member 85a in the form of acradle, with the addition of a small roller 85 which retains the magnetin a good position for skimming over the track.

Following another form of construction which is not shown in thedrawings, the cradle-shaped member is constituted by a small lbucketsuspended by rollers from angleirons placed beneath the track andforming a rollingtrack.

In accordance With a feature of the present invention the driven magnetswhich are mounted on the cars may serve as a rolling system for saidcars. In this case they are provided at their extremities with smallrubber washers 86 and they rotate on shafts which are rigidly fixed tothe frame of the car, as shown in FIG. 21.

In accordance with the form of construction shown in FIG. 22, the magnetis provided with a central groove 87- having thickened edges 88. Twosmall rods 89 which are coupled by a longitudinal member 90 to therear-wheel system, pass over this groove and these thickened edgeportions and thus adequately retain the magnet, while at the same timepermitting a certain lateral movement of the magnet about these rods,this movement enabling the assembly of the car to remain in line, thatis to say correctly placed in the axis of the road, irrespective of theposition of the magnet which serves as a rolling system, under theinfluence of the driving magnet.

The racing game in accordance with the present invention is providedwith a lap-counting device which constitutes an element of essentialinterest, since it gives the contest its full meaning.

The lap-counting device which will be described below with reference toFIG. 23, relates to a game which is mechanically driven bycrank-handles, but it is quite clear that an identical or similar devicemay be adapted to an electrical game and falls within the scope of thepresent invention.

The lap-counter shown in FIG. 23 is in the form of a gate or gantrywhich is placed above the track in the position shown in FIG. 13 and soarranged that each player faces the indicator windows showing the lapscores.

A magnetized weight-head 91 forming a horizontal pendulum is arrangedexactly on the edge of the trajectory followed by a driving magnet. Whenthe driving magnet passes, this driving magnet causes said weight-headto pivot, either by direct contact or by magnetic influence.

The movement of the pendulum constituted by the weight-head 91 and itsrod is communicated by an escapement system 92 to a drum 93 on which aremarked the figures which are intended to appear in the indicator window.

The drum comprises two series of figures placed one above the other: oneseries being grouped in one window located on one side of the drum whilethe other series is grouped in one window located on the other side ofthe drum. In this manner, when for example, the figure 22 appears in theindicator window which faces towards the player who is placed on oneside of the game, another figure 22 similarly appears in the indicatorwindow facing the player who is placed on the other side of the game.

It is of course understood that the game comprises the number oflap-counting devices corresponding to the number of cars on the track.Thus, whatever number of cars the game comprises, the spacing of thefigures appearing in the indicator windows enables each player to beinformed at all times, on his position in the race and that of each orall of his opponents.

FIG. 23 shows by way of example and not by way of implied limitation oneof the extremely varied devices which are designed to add interest toany one of the forms of construction of the game forming the object ofthe invention. This particular form of construction is more especiallyadapted to the game which operates electrically.

This device is designed to introduce a road hazard with the purpose ofobliging the players to slow down or to accelerate the movement of theircars so as not to incur the penalty of being stopped by means of theautomatic operation of the penalizing device which has previously beendescribed.

A small turn-table 93 on which are arranged miniature figures (forexample a flock of sheep driven by a shepherd) turns on its axis, insuch manner that the figures which it supports are made to turn atintervals to face in the direction of the track, as if the flock werepreparing to cross the track.

This turn-table is supported by a shaft 94 which rotates under theaction of a small electric motor 95 placed beneath the track. Acounter-shaft angle pinion transmits the movement of the shaft 94 to ashaft 96 provided, on the portion of its length which is located beneaththe roadway, with a kind of brush 97 having a braking etfect on thebucket which hits it. This braking action gives a slight jerk to thebucket and thus causes the opening of the penalizing make-and-breakcontact which it comprises.

The device which has just been described is adjusted in such manner thatthe brush is placed in its raised posi tion and is thus liable to be hitby the bucket, when the miniature figures carried by the turn-table aremade to face in the direction of the track. By paying attention to thesefigures, the player is thus warned that he is exposed to the risk ofincurring a penalty and is thus able to take steps accordingly byvarying the speed of his vehicle.

What I claim is:

l. A racing game for bodies which are individually movable alongrespective trajectories on a track which is free of any visible drivingand guiding system, said game comprising: means for displacing saidmovable bodies at varying speeds and accelerations, and meansoperatively associated with the means for displacing the movable bodiesand responsive to the acceleration and speed thereof for disassociatingthe same from said movable bodies with the latter exceeding apredetermined acceleration and independently of the speed of saidbodies, the latter said means automatically restoring the associationbetween the movable bodies and the means for displacing the same withthe acceleration of the bodies reduced to a magnitude less than saidpredetermined acceleration.

2. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein both said means cooperativelycomprise driving magnets beneath said track movable along saidtrajectories, a permanent magnet in each of said bodies for beingattracted and moved by said driving magnets, a rail arranged beneathsaid track; a bucket arranged beneath said rail for each of said drivingmagnets; grooved wheels resting on said rail; means for suspending saidbucket from said grooved wheels; an electric motor arranged in saidbucket; means for driving the wheels by said motor; a currentconductor-strip beneath said track; a metallic brush in contact withsaid strip and connected to said motor; a second conductor-strip beneathsaid track; a second metallic brush in contact with said second stripand connected to said motor; a hooked member in the shape of a hockeystick secured to the upper portion of said bucket and mounted astridesaid rail; a carriage supported on the upper portion of said hookedmember for pivoting therearound; runner-rollers arranged on the upperportion of said carriage and spaced from said track with said carriagein a horizontal position; said driving magnet associated with the bucketbeing arranged on the upper portion of said carriage and skimming thelower surface of said track and spaced therefrom; a return springbetween the lower portion of said carriage and the upper portion of saidbucket said bucket being laterally oscillatable beneath said railindependently from said carriage, one of said brushes losing contactwith said corresponding strip with said oscillatory movement at adeterminable amplitude.

3. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein both said means cooperativelycomprise driving magnets beneath said track movable along saidtrajectories, a permanent magnet in each of said bodies for beingattracted and moved by said driving magnets, a rail arranged beneathsaid track; a bucket for each of said driving magnets arranged beneathsaid rail; grooved wheels resting on said rail; means for suspendingsaid bucket from said grooved wheels; an electric motor arranged in saidbucket; means for driving the wheels by said motor; a currentconductor-strip arranged beneath said track; a metallic brush in contactwith said strip and connected to said motor; a second conductor-stripbeneath said track; a second metallic brush in contact with said secondstrip and connected to said motor; said bucket being operative tosupport the associated driving magnet such that the latter is adaptedfor skimming the lower surface of said track while spaced therefrom; avertical threaded shaft extcnd- 13 ing beneath said bucket; a massthreadably engaged on said shaft, the veitical position of said mass onsaid shaft being adjustable, said bucket being laterally oscillatablebeneath said rail about the axis constituted by said rail one of thebrushes being adapted to lose contact with said corresponding strip withsaid oscillatory movement at a determinable amplitude.

4. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein both said means cooperativelycomprise driving magnets beneath said track movable along saidtrajectories, a permanent magnet in each of said bodies for beingattracted and moved by said driving magnets, a rail mounted beneath saidtrack at a constant distance from said track; an electric motor membersupporting said magnet and adapted for being self-propelled along therail when supplied with current; means for suspending said supportingmotor member on said rail; means for supplying current to said motormember; a switch device in the electrical supply circuit of saidelectric supporting motor-member; a pendulum member having oppositeends, said pendulum member being suspended at said supporting motormember by the upper of said ends and adapted to operate said switchdevice by contact at the lower ends with the pendulum member at rest,said switch device being opened by a determinable displacement of thelower end of said pendulum member.

5. A racing game for moving bodies of the type in which the movingbodies are driven individually in accordance with their respectivetrajectories, on a track which is free of any visible driving andguiding system, by driving magnets which move beneath said trajectoriesand retain said moving bodies undes their close control by the magneticattraction of other driven permanent magnets which are suitably arrangedin the moving bodies, said game comprising: parallel angle-ironsarranged beneath said track; a runner-wheel system rolling on saidangle-irons; a bucket rigidly suspended from said runner-wheel system;electrical means for moving said bucket along said angle-irons; a magnetcarried by said bucket and skimming along the lower surface of saidtrack and spaced from said surface; a cup arranged in said bucket; afirst ring of electrically conductive metal surrounding said cup; atsecond ring of conductive metal arranged above said first ring; a ballof conductive metal rolling freely in said cup; a switch deviceincluding contacts interposed in the electric supply circuit of saidelectrical means; an electro-magnet adapted when supplied with current,to open said switch device by separating one contact from the other,said electromagnet being energized when said ball establishes contactbetween said rings.

6. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein both said means cooperativelycomprise driving magnets beneath said track movable along saidtrajectories, a permanent magnet in each of said bodies for beingattracted and moved by said driving magnets, a rail mounted beneath saidtrack at a constant distance from said track; an electric motor membersupporting said magnet and adapted for being self-propelled along saidrail when supplied with current; means for suspending said supportingmotor member on said rail; means for supplying current to saidsupporting motor member; means proportional to the acceleration of themoving body and adapted to come into operation with said accelerationexceeding a pre-determined value, to cause the moving body to come to astop; a rheostat externally controlled in the electric supply circuit ofsaid motor member; a circuit-breaking device With a contact interposedin said circuit; an electromagnet energized by said circuit and keepingsaid circuitbreaking device closed when energized; a push-button adaptedto re-close the contact of said circuit-breaking device when saidcontact has been broken as a result of an interruption of said supplycircuit, caused by said subordinated means which also caused theelectro-magnet to become de energized; land a system of gears which isadapted to delay said contact re-closure by means of said push-button.

7. A game as claimed in claim 1 comprising means responsive to theacceleration of the driving magnets and operative with said accelerationless than a pre-determined value to cause respective or said movingbodies to come to a stop; obstacles arranged beneath said track andwhich, when hit by said means which displaces the moving bodies causessaid members to slow down abruptly, thereby also causing saidsubordinated means to come into operation; and mechanical means adaptedto ensure that said obstacles may be withdrawn at intervals and in anunpredictable manner from the trajectory followed by said means whichdrives the moving bodies.

8. A racing game for movable bodies of the type in which the bodies aredriven individually along respective trajectories on a track which isfree from any visible driving and guiding system, said game comprising:permanent magnets in said bodies, driving magnets, means supporting saiddriving magnets and adapted for movement beneath said trajectories tomove the driving magnets at determinable speeds and accelerations, thedriving magnets controlling movement of said bodies by the magneticattraction of the driving magnets with the permanent magnets in thebodies, a source of electricity for energizing the first said means formoving the same, conducting elements for coupling the source ofelectricity to said first means, said conducting elements includingstationary first conducting elements, and second con ducting elements onand movable with said first means and adapted for contacting the firstsaid elements to couple said source to said first means, said secondconducting elements being subjected to the acceleration of said firstmeans and being displaced to interrupt the flow of electricity betweensaid first means and the stationary first conducting elements with saidfirst means exceeding a predetermined acceleration, said secondconducting elements being automatically displaced to restore the flow ofelectricity to said first means when the acceleration of the latterdecreases to a magnitude less than that of said predeterminedacceleration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,188,619 Bernhardt Jan. 30, 1940 2,225,502 Lauterbach Dec. 17, 19402,417,114 Kilham Mar. 11, 1947 2,486,273 Gibson Oct. 25, 1949 2,509,952Bachmann May 30, 1950 2,631,853 Haynes et a1. Mar. 17, 1953 2,637,140Hoff May 5, 1953 2,806,323 Oback Sept. 17, 1957 2,814,909 Knowles Dec.3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,014,235 France Aug. 12, 1952

1. A RACING GAME FOR BODIES WHICH ARE INDIVIDUALLY MOVABLE ALONGRESPECTIVE TRAJECTORIES ON A TRACK WHICH IS FREE OF ANY VISIBLE DRIVINGAND GUIDING SYSTEM, SAID GAME COMPRISING: MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAIDMOVABLE BODIES AT VARYING SPEEDS AND ACCELERATIONS, AND MEANSOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEANS FOR DISPLACING THE MOVABLE BODIESAND RESPONSIVE TO THE ACCELERATION AND SPEED THEREOF FOR DISASSOCIATINGTHE SAME FROM SAID MOVABLE BODIES WITH THE LATTER EXCEEDING APREDETERMINED ACCELERATION AND INDEPENDENTLY OF THE SPEED OF SAIDBODIES, THE LATTER SAID MEANS AUTOMATICALLY RESTORING THE ASSOCIATIONBETWEEN THE MOVABLE BODIES AND THE MEANS FOR DISPLACING THE SAME WITHTHE ACCELERATION OF THE BODIES REDUCED TO A MAGNITUDE LESS THAN SAIDPREDETERMINED ACCELERATION.